Alison Pill portrayed a lead character in American Horror Story: Cult, but the installment would go on to serve as her first and only appearance. Cult marked the seventh season of the FX horror anthology series created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk. While some cast members tend to appear in multiple seasons, Pill hasn't been one of those returning figures. The actress may return in the future, seeing as the show has at least three more installments in development following season 10. With that said, American Horror Story might also be a one-and-done gig for Pill.

Based on the events surrounding the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election results, Cult was set in a fictional Michigan town. Pill played Ivy Mayfair-Richards, the wife of Ally Mayfair-Richards (Sarah Paulson), and the chef of a restaurant that she co-owns with her significant other. When Ally's variety of phobias started to affect their marriage, Ivy secretly worsened the situation so that she could potentially get custody of the pair's young son, Oz (Cooper Dodson). To speed up Ally's downward mental spiral, Ivy joined a violent clown cult led by Kai Anderson (Evan Peters) to terrorize her wife. In the end, Ally infiltrated the cult, killing Ivy, and ended up manipulating Kai for her own personal gain.

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While the performances of Peters and Paulson took much of the focus in terms of reception, Pill was one of the welcomed newcomers to the cast. Her presence drove one of Cult's biggest twists centered around Ally's actions to kill Ivy to keep her son safe. It's certainly not uncommon for cast members to appear in just one American Horror Story season, but based on Pill's prominence, it was predicted that she would become a new regular. Instead, the actress has been absent from the horror series since Cult, and the show is currently heading into its tenth season. There had been rumors that the role of Ivy was intended for a series regular, Lily Rabe, but based on her pregnancy around the time of filming in 2017, the role was recast. Cult was the only season in which Rabe didn't appear, adding to the rumor that Pill was filling in for the short-term. That explanation is plausible, but Pill's busy schedule could also be a variable in her absence.

Pill's Schedule Might Keep Her Away From Recent AHS Seasons

Star Trek

American Horror Story season 8 featured a special crossover event, joining characters from Murder House and Coven. In addition to returning figures, the season from 2018 starred a couple of newly created characters. Pill was not among the cast, which made sense because the actress was starring as C in Three Tall Women on Broadway around the same time. The two-act play was actively running through season 8's pre-production as well as the early weeks of filming, making it nearly impossible for Pill to commit to any other gigs.

As for why Pill wasn't involved with American Horror Story season 9, or the upcoming tenth installment, the actress has been busy since Three Tall Women came to an end. Aside from appearing in the 2018 film Vice, Pill has starred in Star Trek: Picard, Devs, and several web projects. The actress is also attached to a few future titles, including the upcoming TV series, Them: Covenant. Despite her busy acting schedule, it's not out of the realm of possibility for Pill to return to American Horror Story or the forthcoming spinoff in some capacity.

Next: American Horror Story: How Cult Failed Twisty The Clown’s Anticipated Return